Silent Hill 3 is a staple to the survival horror genre, released during what many consider to be the golden age of survival horror on PS2 during the early 2000s. Following the narrative of Heather Mason (also known as Cheryl Mason, daughter of the original Silent Hill's protagonist Harry Mason), players make their way to the titular location while fighting past monsters and a mysterious cult that appears to be tracking Heather's every move.
The Silent Hill series is well-known for the ways in which it plays with symbolism in its environments and monsters. The developers dug deep into topics regarding psychological traumas to create gruesome, chilling monsters that represent the deepest fears of the human mind. In Silent Hill 3, there are certain monsters that stand out from the rest and are the most frightening to encounter.
10 Closer
Closers are the first type of monster that Heather encounters in the game, and they set the tone of what to expect throughout the nightmarish journey. At twice the size of Heather, with two large arms that resemble bloody body bags, Closers pack a punch and are a bit difficult to take down.
What's more chilling is the background information surrounding Closers. Based on Silent Hill lore, its name comes from its ability to block paths, and its design is speculated to be based on maternal abuse. The sounds that Closers make is also digitally altered sounds of a rhinoceros.
9 Pendulum
Pendulums are reoccurring monsters throughout Silent Hill 3 that generally appear in packs. They have human-like and metallic features, have the ability to float, and attack with blades. They are known for the high pitched screeches that they make when alerted of Heather's presence.
When not floating, Pendulums will scurry towards Heather in a terrifying fashion while swiping at her with their blades. As the Pendulum has two sides that make up one whole, there is much speculation that it represents Heather's struggle to acknowledge the past life that had to shed.
8 Nurse
As one of the most iconic enemies in the Silent Hill franchise, Nurses in Silent Hill 3 have the ability to wield both melee-ranged weapons, as well as revolvers, making them even more challenging to defeat than many other monsters in the game.
Nurses are known for their twitchy movements, and blood-stained mouths. They also unleash a cacophony of shrill screams and screeches when encountering Heather.
7 Memory Of Alessa
The Memory Of Alessa is a boss that Heather encounters later in the game. It is a human-like figure, resembling a gory Heather with pale skin and a demonic-like face. Memory Of Alessa uses many of the same weapons that Heather uses, and she is skilled at parrying Heather's attempts at attacking her.
This monster is speculated as representing the dark part of Heather that is controlled by Alessa Gillespie that is trying to consume the rest of Heather. When it is defeated, a message is left behind in blood that implies that Alessa wanted to commit suicide so as to prevent The Order from carrying out their plan.
6 Split Worm
The Split Worm is the first boss that Heather encounters in the game. It is a giant, flesh-like worm with two layers. When the outer layer opens, it reveals to be more red, and has a giant mouth with sharp teeth.
Not only is the Split Worm terrifying, but Heather must face it in a dark, enclosed area with multiple corridors that it appears and hides in.
5 Insane Cancer
Insane Cancers are similar to Closers in that their primary function when they appear is to block the path of Heather. Though not as tall as Closers, Insane Cancers make up for it in their width, brute strength, and vitality.
Their bulbous, gory stature really sets pressure on the player when it begins lurching towards you.
4 Missionary
The Missionary is another major boss that Heather must face. It is tragically responsible for the murder of Harry Mason, and immediately turns to attack Heather under Claudia's orders.
The Missionary is quick, strong, and can use its blades to parry many of Heather's attacks. It uses light to track Heather, and immediately charges at Heather when she shines her flashlight onto it. Its disturbing, bloody appearance, quick movement, and two blades that it uses to chop up its victims is the closest Silent Hill 3 gets to a traditional serial killer trope.
3 Glutton
The Glutton is unique in that it is a passive monster in Silent Hill 3, not actively trying to attack Heather but blocking her path. It resembles a human-like figure trapped in what appears to be a cage. A giant circular device is in the chest of the figure which rotates rapidly as the rest of the figure twitches.
Based on the way the figure looks, twitches and the sounds it makes, Heather may be lucky that its only intention is to block her path and not actively harm her!
2 Sewer Monster
The Sewer Monster is another unique monster in Silent Hill 3, and a classic instance of "less-is-more" in terms of horror. Heather can first find out about the monster in a note found written by the workers of the sewer, who believe it could be an alligator.
If Heather does not use the hair-dryer to electrocute the monster before crossing the bridge in the sewer, a flesh-colored tentacle will quickly shoot out of the murky waters and drag her into the depths, resulting in an instant game-over. The fact that the monster is never revealed to the player really leaves it up to your imagination to fill in the gaps of what's under the sewer waters.
1 Valtiel
Derived from the word for "attendant", Valtiel is a servant to the gods of Silent Hill. While it does not actively seek out Heather to harm her, it is speculated to be responsible for governing the shift between the real-world and the Otherworld that Heather must traverse through.
One of the most chilling aspects of Valtiel occurs in the scenario that Heather dies. Valtiel is seen approaching her body, examining her, and then slowly dragging her away into the darkness.